Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, dismissed the European Union’s criticism of the country’s internal situation, stating that EU criticism is based on faulty standards and contradictory logic that lack objectivity.
“Nobody has the right to judge others,” he added, at the Tuesday’s meeting for the EU-Egypt Partnership Council in Brussels.
Shoukry stressed that the relationship between the two sides must be based on mutual respect and appreciation.
Meetings of the council were suspended in 2010, until the first meeting on Tuesday.
Shoukry headed the Egyptian delegation, while the European side was headed by Federica Mogherini, high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and vice-president of the European Commission.
The meeting was an important opportunity for Egypt to express main concerns about the EU’s handling of many issues, thus creating a healthy and appropriate atmosphere between the two sides, said Ahmed Abu Zeid, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, in a statement Tuesday.
Egypt called on the EU to facilitate a frank and open conversation about the need for a stronger stance against terrorism and extremism, saying, it turns a blind eye to the practices of some countries and regional entities that provide explicit support for terrorist organizations.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
